Introduces New On-device Safeguards
India is witnessing a sharp rise in online fraud, and many scams now use AI to trick people faster than before. As the country prepares for the AI Impact Summit 2026, Google has announced a bigger push to fight the AI scam wave. The company is rolling out new protections across devices, apps, and digital literacy programs to safeguard vulnerable users.
AI Scam Protection Arrives on Phone Calls
Scammers often target people through unexpected calls, and their methods are becoming harder to spot. Therefore, Google is introducing Real-Time Scam Detection on Pixel phones. The tool uses Gemini Nano to analyse calls on-device and flag suspicious patterns. It does not record audio or send data to Google. It works only on unknown numbers and stays off by default. Users can disable it any time.
This update aims to stop high-value fraud attempts that rely on voice manipulation or digital arrest tricks. The system alerts the user with a simple beep, adding a safety layer without affecting regular calls.
New Protection for Financial Apps
Screen-sharing scams remain a major threat, and fraudsters often pressure users to open banking apps while sharing screens. To counter this, Google is piloting a new alert for Google Pay, PayTM and Navi. Devices running Android 11 or higher will warn users when they open these apps during an active screen-sharing session with an unknown contact. The alert also offers a one-tap option to end the call.
Google Play Protect has also blocked more than 115 million attempts to install risky sideloaded apps this year. Meanwhile, Google Pay shows over one million fraud alerts every week. These steps aim to make financial transactions safer and restore user trust.
Building System-Level Defence Against AI Scams
Google is redesigning Android security to stay ahead of scam networks. One key effort is Enhanced Phone Number Verification, which replaces fragile SMS OTP flows with a secure SIM-based check. This method reduces phishing risks and improves sign-in reliability.
The company is also expanding access to SynthID Detector and API. This watermarking technology helps partners such as Jagran, PTI and India Today identify AI-generated content. It is a key step in fighting the spread of deepfakes and misinformation.
Stronger Cybersecurity and Privacy Tools
Google is launching CodeMender, a new agent that scans code and fixes vulnerabilities automatically. It builds on earlier systems that helped secure open source software. Google is also training startups through AI Agent Masterclasses and Roadshows to build secure AI agents using the SAIF 2.0 framework.
In privacy, Google is releasing new tools such as Private AI Compute, Parfait and VaultGemma. These solutions help developers build personalised AI features without exposing sensitive data.
Empowering Kids, Teens and Seniors
Google is also strengthening digital literacy for vulnerable groups. LEO, Google’s global program for safe internet training, is coming to India in December 2025. It will train parents, teachers and caregivers on creating age-appropriate online spaces.
Super Searchers, Google’s information literacy initiative, has trained over 17,000 teachers and 10,000 students this year. It teaches users to evaluate information and detect AI-generated content using tools like SynthID. The program now focuses on low-income communities, women and seniors.
Google’s DigiKavach campaigns have already reached more than 250 million people with simple safety messages. A special program for senior citizens, run with Jagran, provides in-person training across 25 cities.
To help users practice scam prevention, Google has built the Be Scam Ready game. It places users in simulated fraud situations and teaches them to spot red flags before scammers strike.
Community and Research Support
Google.org is giving $1 million to think tanks across APAC to study digital safety. In India, CyberPeace Foundation will receive $200,000 to build AI-driven defense tools, fight deepfakes and support safe learning environments.
Partnering for a Safer Internet
Google is working with regulators and academic institutions to build long-term safeguards. With the RBI, it helped publish the official list of authorised lending apps, protecting users from malicious operators.
Google and IIT Madras are expanding their collaboration with CeRAI to build Hindi-language AI safety benchmarks and diverse datasets. They will also promote the Secure AI Framework to the Indian tech community.
As India accelerates its digital growth, Google aims to build a security foundation strong enough to counter every evolving AI scam threat.
